Nikki Heitner Heyman
5 Apps to learn to read
As the new school year begins, thousands of excited children are getting ready for “Big School.” Their anxious parents are worrying about whether they will succeed in the formal learning...
Should you buy an ipad for your child?
Recently the Daily Mail published a study reporting that “the number of children with speech difficulties has leapt 70 percent in 6 years. The rise has been blamed on the growing use of screen-based...
Why TV is good for your child
School holidays are looming and with it the dilemma on how to entertain your child. Thoughts of children slouching around in front of the TV all day whilst parents are still at work dredges up mixed...
Between The Lines – App Review
Social –Pragmatic skills are difficult to teach and yet more and more children are experiencing difficulty learning and generalizing these skills. Between the Lines by Hamaguchi Apps is...
Auditory Workout – App Review
Developer: Virtual Speech Center Price: $19.99 Processing of Auditory information is a difficulty that affects so many aspects of language development and...
Syntax City – App Review
Developer: Smarty Ears Apps Price: $14.99 Syntax City targets a variety of grammatical elements in fun and engaging ways. It is suitable for children...
`Proloquo2Go
TouchChat with WordPower
Snap+Core First
Grid for iPad
SpeakforYourself[
WeaveChat
AAC is short for Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Source: AssistiveWare
Communication devices, systems, strategies and tools that replace or support spoken language are known as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). These tools support a person who has difficulties communicating using speech.
The first “A” in AAC stands for Augmentative Communication. When you augment something, you add to it or supplement. Augmentative communication is when you add something to your speech (eg. sign language, pictures, a letter board). This can make your message clearer to your listener.
The second “A” in AAC stands for Alternative Communication. This is when you are not able to speak. It is also when your speech is not understood by others. In this case, you need a different way to communicate.
Basically, AAC can be tools, systems, devices or strategies. These tools help a person communicate, when they cannot rely on speech. Perhaps your child has not started talking. Perhaps you have lost your ability to speak. Perhaps your speech comes and goes. Maybe speaking is harder than other ways to communicate. AAC can help.
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